wailey



TO'ALL WHOM I'l MAY GONCERN:

@niiet tetes stent fitte- 'IMPROVEMENT IN IEE-IPRESERVING RAFTS.

olie dgrmh nitriet in it. tout @diets haunt 'mit noting pitt 'uf itssamt'.

Be it known that I, C. W. WAILEY, ot' New Orleans, `in the Stute ofLouisiana, hcvc invented a new and.

useful Life-Preserving Raft ond I do hereby declare that the followingis u. full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaocompenying'druwings, making part' of this application. i

lily-invention has for its object the production of o 'life-preservingraft, which shall lne-simple in itsvcouf struction, 'und ut the semetime require but littlespacelon boord vessels.

I am fully aware thut very -Ipeny inventions have been mede hoving'fortheir object the preservetiou of life upon the water, und thut many ofthem have been used with comparative success, l i

' Similar letters of reference denote like pui-ts in the differentgures,

Figure 1 is o, pien-view of my invention.

Figure 2 is-o side elevation ofv the some; und i Figures 3, v4, und 5arer detailed views, showing the monuer in which the perte-are fittedtogether.

A A A :ire three simple' bars or sccntling, constructed es shown, withcross-pieces, B B B, (the bers and cross-pieces having one orrnoreconce'ntric V-shupcd grooves, cc, che., to receive the ohimeof theberrels,) mon tises, a a a a, and holes, `IJ 6, die., for theireceptionof the bolts C C C C, which are vprovided :it one end 'with nscrew-thread of any suiicicnt'leugth to be adopted by washers to suitborrels or different lengt-hs, provided withh'end-nuts, 'ol d ci d,capable of vheingturned by the hond. D D D arc-three slats, which eromede capableof being passed through the mortises, cao, &c.,wth pinholes, b", a-t'the points designated.v E EYE are ordinary barrels, suchas are used for carrying provisions, whisky, wine, Snc., ,und e c e,dto., ere several V-sheped grooves, parallel to each other, to receivethe chimesof borrels of different diameters. ff oro guard-ropes, outArthe proper length beforehand. The several ports, except the borrels,ure stored away in bundles, und when et any time it becomes evident thatthe vessel mustrbe abandoned, sovernl men can, in .fr very few moments,easily.

constructs. li'elpreservor or ruft, which will bestrong und "durable,and upon which they stuud n hotter chance for safety tha-n any othernon` known or used. Four cnrs or e soil moy be put up with tho,-hundles, which are tied up with the ropes which ere-used forguerd-ropes` When it is necessary to- 'make the ruft or life-prserver, i

ull that itishecessery to do is to place the three bars upon thedock,empty four barrels, (barrels, however, muy be constructed especiallyforond carried with the raft,) and place the chimes within the V-shufpedgrooves, put the rods end sluts in their relative positions, when thewhole is tightened by means of the houd-nuts; thc ropes nre then passedthrough their hearings and secured, when the whole is ready for'use. Itwill bo seen that, ifV

desircbleymnny of these rafts may be lashed together, thus securingadditional safety. 'lhe crosspieccs ere lapped on to the bers A A A insuch manner as may seem best. l prefer to secure them, as shown, bymoriising as they nre then' capable of being held vin place when thewhole frumeworkl shell hnvo been tightened buv-'the screw-nuts el cidol, ir-c. Various und sundry rope-handles may be provided' et dierentpoints. v

4 l do not wish to limit myself to the cxuct number oi' barrels orpieces described, us itis evident that muy deviate in this respectwithout departing from the spirit of my invention. One or more of theborrels maybe provided with water-'tight lids for the purpose oi'carrying brcadstui; they may, however, curry suvcient -freslr waterwithout altering them ot all. It will be seen that, should the raft beoverturned by u. heavy seo, the opposite sido will be exactly similur tothe one just submerged, and the openings through which the fresh witterorprovisions ore conducted, will then be below the surface of thc water.This evil can, however, be easily overcome, es all that is necessary issimpl)7 to turn the hand-nuts cl ci d, lite., in u reverse direction;the frame work is thus lessened suiiiciently to admit 'of the barrelsbeing turned in the'V-shuped grooves, und ut the samci time not allowingthem to'be'uomc disengaged from thc framework. Four ordiuorylforty-gallon whisky barrels thus secured,'will sustain easily s. weightof twelve hundred (1,2%) pounds or more, ond :tt the sume time con?.

tain s, full supply 0i' water and provisions for several days. This',sume principle muy be advantageously employed in the construction ofpontoon bridges.

Hoving fully described the construction und arrangement of my improvedlife-preserver, what' I claim as new, end desire t'o secure by Letterslla-tent, isv 4 I A life-preserving ruft, ernhrucngthc combination ofthe bars A A. A with cross-pieces B B B, Sie., (so

groovod esto receive the chime vof a. bnrreh) und inortises a a a a,-thc sluts D D D with pin holes und pins, theV ropes ff, the bolts C C CyC, vwith hund-nuts Z Z rZ-(Z, und the borrels E E E, all arrongednndconstructed us specified for the purpose hereinheforc set forth. Y

Intestimony whereof l have hereunto set my hund und seul this 23d dey ofGotober, 1865.

o, w. WML-ur.'

Witnesses i' GLF. MCGILL, Geo. W. MoGxtt.

